Pliers for straightening radiator fins



19, 1952 J. w..1oHNsToN 2,607,249

PLIERS FOR STRAIGHTENING RADIATOR FINS Filed Jan. 4, 1950 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Aug. l9, 1952 PLIERS FOR STRAIGHTENING RADIATOR FINS J amcs W. Johnston, Ogden, Utah Application January 4, 1950, Serial No. 136,783

' (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

2 Claims.

z I This invention, it patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for govermnental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to pliers for straightening the damaged fins of radiators of automobiles, trucks, tractors and the like, and particularly aims to provide improvements in the jaws of pliers of the crossed handle-type, enabling such jaws to grip a bent radiatorfin and straighten it by proper manipulation of the handles.

It has been proposed as in the F. L. Locke Patent No. 1,442,486, dated January 16, 1923, to repair the round tubes of Ford Model T radiators by; employing thin jaws adapted to enter the space between two radiator fins and grip the damaged tube between two semi-circular matching recesses in the jaws. 'However, so far as I know, no one has provided pliers having aws capableof gripping and straightening damaged radiatorfins. The plier jaws of the invention are. well adapted to facilitate the tedious task of re-, pairing a damaged radiator, as will appear from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:

Fig. l is a full size elevation of conventional pliers provided with the improved jaws;

Fig. 2 is a view of the pliers looking from above and at an angle;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the pliers shown in two different positions while in the act of straightening radiator fins, part of a radiator with some damaged fins being shown somewhat diagrammatically; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one of the jaws looking at the inner or fin-contacting face there-,. of.

Referring particularly to the drawings, I have shown a pair of pliers consisting of conventional handles 5, 6 pivotally secured together by a pivot I and having jaws 8, 9 of tapering formation. There is nothing novel in the pliers as so far described.

Rigidly secured to the outer ends of or integral with the jaws 8, 9 are complementary jaw extensions [0, II respectively. Each jaw extension is in the nature of an elongated fiat thin plate, with fiat inner walls 12 which, when the jaws are closed as shown in Fig. 2, will lie in contact throughout their areas. The areas of these fiat contacting surfaces are large relative to the areas of the jaws. The outer walls l3 of the jaw extensions are also fiat. The two jaw extensions amended April 30, 1928; 3'70 0. G; 757) lie'in planes at right angles to the general plane of the handles, as best shown in Fig. 2. In outline or plan each jaw extension is a quadrilateral of four unequal sides, with rounded angles or corners and smooth edges and with its longitudinal axis lying at an angle (about 45) to the general plane of the pliers, as best shown in Fig, 1. The extremity of each jaw extension is a rounded point or toe M, which is also thinned by beveling, as'indicated at 15. The major part of each jaw extension lies on one side of the;

pliers, with a rounded heel-i6 on the other side, adjacent the point of attachment to the jaw; proper. Between the rounded heel l6 and the toe M the jaw extension-is. straight, as indicated at I1, and this straight side, which is the largest side, is about 1% in. long and lies at angle of about 30 to the gleneral'plane of the pliers. The widest partof each jawextension is between the straight side 'l'! and the obtuse angle [8, where thewidthisab'outfiin. a Y

Before using the pliers, the radiator is first dismounted from the vehicle, then cleaned and all its paint removed. The radiator R rests fiat on a table or bench, as will be understood from Fig. 3, which presents the fins F in vertical planes. In one method of using the pliers, they are held at about 30 to the horizontal, as shown at the right side of Fig. 3,.with a fin to be straightened gripped between the jaw extensions. The total thickness of the two jaw extensions with a fin gripped between them will be about in, which means that the fins when straightened will be spaced apart properly and will not be pried loose from the tubes to which they are soldered. By pushing on the end of the handle and at the same time gripping the pliers with the right pressure the bent fin may be straightened almost perfectly throughout most of its length. (In actual practice, a rubber cushion is fixed on the handle end so that the heel of the hand pushing the pliers may do so without acute discomfort. As this cushion is no part of the present invention it is omitted from the drawings.) At the end of a fin the pliers are held at an angle of about as shown at the left side of Fig. 3, and the toe ends or points [4 grip the fin to straighten it when the handles are properly manipulated. The jaw extension surfaces and edges are smooth so that the frail radiator fins will not be daxnaged thereby. In practice about three-fourths .of the fins can be straightened without any other tool being used. If the fins are so badly crushed that the jaws can not get under or between them, a special tool is used to raise the crushed fins,

after'which the pliers are manipulated in the manner indicated to straighten the fins.

It will be appreciated that the dimensions referred to in the foregoing description are subject to some variation, and that the'invention is not limited to the precise 'details'of the illustrative embodiment. 1

sisting of a pair of crossed pivotedha'n'dlesa'nd 1. Pliers :for straightening--radiator ifins con Having described the invention what I claim apairof jaws respectivelyfixed to the'handles,

elongated flat thin jaw extensions rigidly fixed to the outer ends of; the,-j aws, the planes ofssaid jaw, extensions being su'iost'antiall'y at right ansaid general plane, the narrowest part of each jaw extension being at the forward extremity where a rounded point is provided, each jaw extension being a quadrilateral with four sides of unequal length, the longest side of each quadrilateral being a straight edge which lies at an angle-of about 30 to the-general plane of the pliers, said straight edge merging with said round- -ed point, both jaw extensions being dis-posed on portions of both j aw extensions lyingon the same both sides of said general planebut the major side of said general plane, theinner opposed fiat faces 6f said jaw extensions being in full contact with. eachrother when the jawsra're nearest togles to the general plane offthe pliers, a'ndisaid the two handles, both jaw extensions'beingdis posed on both sides of saidge'rieral plane but the major portions of both jaw extensions lyingj on the same side of said generalplane; the inner opposed-flat faces of; said jaw extensions being' I in full contact with each other whenthe jaws are nearest'together, the-thinness of the jaw. extensions and their positions-"relative to the jaws being such as to permit the introduction of substantial areas of: the'jaw extensions into the 1 spaces between damaged radiator fins so that'a singlebntfin may-be gripped between the jaw extensions and straightened by manual force ap- 'plied'through said handles,

2.}Pliersfor straightening radiator fins consistingofa pair of crossed pivoted handles and a pairof jaws respectively fixed to the handles, elongated fiat thin jaw extensions rigidly fixed to the outer ends of the jaws, the planes of said jaw extensions being. substantially at right angles to the general-plane of the pliers and said general plane including the longitudinal axes of l the two handles, the longitudinal axis of each jaw extension lying at an angle ofrabout 45 to general plane including the longitudinal axesof gether; the thinness of the jaw' extensions and their positions relative to the jaws being such as to permit the introduction of substantial areas of the jawextensions into the spaces between damaged: radiator fins so that asingle bentfin maybe. gripped between the jawiextensions and f straightened by manual force" applied through *s idnandles:

t 'qhi/ ssjw; JOHNSTON; s IBE E NGE Thsrouow'ing references'are of record in; the

'file of this patent tz 1 when "sTATESrA'rEN S- Great Britain Oct. 2, 1924 

